This document discusses user-centered design (UCD) and its benefits. It notes that UCD involves focusing on users' needs, wants and limitations at each stage of design. UCD includes research, design, user testing and more. The document encourages the use of UCD principles and usability testing to improve websites and save money. It provides an overview of best practices like prioritizing important content and tasks and using plain language. Overall it promotes UCD as a way to create more effective and efficient digital products and services.

1. Howto.gov/firstfridays
Why the best gov sites
use User-Centered Design
Jonathan Rubin
First Fridays Usability Program

2. User-Centered Design Takeaways
1. UCD saves money and improves websites
2. Gov’t and top companies already use it
3. UCD = good customer service
4. Use early and often
5. First Fridays can help teach you about
UCD
Howto.gov/firstfridays

3. Howto.gov/firstfridays
1. What is
User-Centered
Design?

4. You are not your users
Howto.gov/firstfridays
You
Target
Audience

5. User-Centered Design =
Focusing on needs, wants, and
limitations of target audience of a
product at each stage of the design
process.
Howto.gov/firstfridays

6. User-Centered Design
Research Design User Testing
(Usability)
• Planning
• Requirements
• Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Personas
• Interviews
• Content
Organization
• Tasks
• Prototypes
• Usability
Testing
• Expert Eval.
• Interviews
• 508 Testing
Howto.gov/firstfridays

7. 5 E’s of Usable Products
• Effective
• Efficient
• Engaging
• Error Tolerant
• Easy to Learn
- Whitney Quesenbery (2004) ‘Balancing the 5Es: Usability’
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9. Here!

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12. User-Centered Design:
Not a soft science
Rooted in:
• Cognitive Science - 1930s
• Human Factors and Ergonomics - WWI
• "Scientific Management" - 19th cen.
• Scientific Method
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13. UCD degrees at
60+ Universities
Stanford
Carnegie Mellon
Univ of Michigan
NYU
Penn State
University of
Wisconsin-Madison
Fortune 500
companies with
UCD teams
Walmart
Apple
GE
GM
Ford
Google, etc.
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14. From 2013 Survey: # UCD staff
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Part Time Full Time
Had at least 1
person
86% 59%
Average # of
people
2 3
Range of
people
0-10 0-30

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3%
19%
46%
25%
8%
0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%
Top to Bottom
UX
Used frequently
Occasional UX
Know but don't
practice
No one knows
UX
How widespread is UCD / UX at your
organization?

16. Increase
• User success on tasks
• Site visits
• Customer Satisfaction
Decrease
• Time to complete tasks
• Volume of emails / help calls
• Development Costs
Howto.gov/firstfridays
Benefits of good design

17. UCD = Good Customer Service

18. Poor design = budget overruns
Three reasons websites go over budget:
1. Requests for changes by users
2. Users can't accomplish key tasks
3. Lack of communication with users
- Lederer & Prasad, ‘Nine Management Guidelines for Better Cost
Estimating’ CACM 35 (2).
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19. The user is always right. If there is a
problem with the use of the system,
the system is the problem, not the
user.
- IBM usability expert Dr. Clare-Marie Karat
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20. For developers and manufacturers,
the advantages of creating usable
products far outweigh the costs.
The rule of thumb: Every dollar
invested in ease of use returns $10
to $100.
- IBM "On User-Centered Design"
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21. Howto.gov/firstfridays
2. Usability
Testing 101

22. User-Centered Design
Research Design User Testing
(Usability)
• Surveys
• Focus Groups
• Personas
• User
Requirements
• Interviews
• Content
Organization
• Tasks
• Prototypes
• Usability
Testing
• Expert Eval.
• Interviews
• 508 Testing
Howto.gov/firstfridays

24. Usability Testing (aka User Testing)
Setting a series of tasks for people to
complete and noting any problems
they encounter
– Andy Budd
Howto.gov/firstfridays

25. @jonathan_rubin
Usability is like oxygen - you
never notice it until it is missing
- Anonymous

26. What you need to do a test
1. Something to test (site, poster, service, etc.)
2. Tasks for people to do
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27. Top Tasks – Why they’re here
• Learn about your services
• Find your contact information
• Register for a class
• Purchase something
• Leave a comment
• Get a rate quote
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29. What’s on a testing script
• Give intro and ground rules
• Questions about user
• Sign release (if recording)
• Easy Tasks
• Harder tasks
• Post-test questions (optional)
• Thanks and incentive (if any)
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30. Active Listening / Think-Aloud Protocol
• Silent, Traditional, or Coaching (we’ll use this)
• Designed to get unbiased data
• Tester does 90% of talking
• Ask Open Ended Questions (if any)
• Be unbiased: Don’t let on if they are right or
wrong
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31. If… Don’t Say Say
They aren’t
talking
“Hey – we’re
paying you
here…”
“What are you
thinking?”
They get a
task wrong
“Oops – that’s
wrong!”
“Thanks for
the feedback!”
They get a
task right
“Good job!” “That’s very
helpful!”
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32. If… Don’t Say Say
They screw up
majorly and
get upset
“Ha ha ha..
OMG!”
“Remember,
you can’t do
anything
wrong,” or
“You’re doing
a great job!”
They criticize
your design
“Hey – we
worked really
hard on this!”
“Thanks for the
feedback!”
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33. If… Say
They aren’t talking
They get a task
wrong
They get a task right
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34. If… Say
They screw up
majorly and get upset
They criticize your
design
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35. Howto.gov/firstfridays
4. Website Best
Practices

36. Most common website problems
1. Users can't understand purpose of site
2. Top tasks difficult to complete
3. Too much text / information not prioritized
4. Confusing or obscure terms
5. Navigation not consistent
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37. Website Best Practices
1. Clear starting point
2. Have cream rise to the top
3. Make search simple
4. Plain Language
5. Consistent navigation
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38. 1. Give a clear starting point
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41. 2. Make cream rise to the top
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42. 5. Difficulty with top tasks
1. Can’t find info via any means or know
where to begin

43. 5. Difficulty with top tasks
1. Can’t find info via any means or know
where to begin

45. 3. Use Plain Language
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48. 4. Make search simple
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53. Howto.gov/fiHowto.gov/f
Before: 7 text items to scan
After: 3 text items to scan

54. 5. Consistent Navigation
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58. 6 things you can do right now
1. Talk to users
2. Define top 3 target audience groups
3. Determine top tasks / Prioritize content
4. Expert Evaluation (Howto.gov/firstfridays )
5. Usability test (Rocket Surgery Made Easy)
6. Training (us or DigitalGov University)
Howto.gov/firstfridays

60. Howto.gov/firstfridays
6. In Conclusion

61. User-Centered Design Takeaways
1. UCD saves money and improves websites
2. Gov’t and top companies already use it
3. UCD = good customer service
4. Use early and often
5. First Fridays can help teach you about
UCD
Howto.gov/firstfridays

62. First Fridays Usability Program
Jonathan Rubin
Jonathan.rubin@gsa.gov
Twitter: @govnewmedia
www.Howto.gov/firstfridays
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